The worrying thing is – I know people like that :|

cynic-al – Member
Anyone can ride swoopy.

and that matters because????

fast, swoopy and rocky for me please

When I first made the change to flats I found that really grippy pedals helped me keep my feet with the bike………but as my technique improved I've lost the need for that and cheaper pedals like V 8's aren't a problem anymore. In fact I'm verging toward appreciating slightly less grippy pedals as it's easier to shuffle my feet into the 'sweet spot'

Perseverance is everything. It took me months and months to feel as happy on flats as I did on SPD's. Now the only time I regret having flat pedals is on techy climbs (but I'm far too lazy to care much about that now!)

Ti29er – Member

Little girl. Read the books as there's no such English word as gonna, and that "sat" is the wrong form of the verb, you meant to say "sitting there"!

Oh my gosh! How shocking of me to forget the perfection that is correct use of the English language.

I dare say it was due to my writing of reports all day, everyday, thus leaving me wanting for relaxed use of said language on a social forum.

Clearly this is unacceptable to you, sir, and, as such, I am an uncouth oaf.

Yeah right….you can — —- ——– — —(fill in the blanks wif woteva words you fink are appropriate, innit)

I'm gonna give most of my stuff to charity – I have so many books sat there doing naff all, seems like such a waste.

Interesting thread.

Something good has come out of it for me at least. I've always thought the mag was a great read and I'd buy it maybe three or four times a year. The rest of the time I've been a skinflint and read other peoples cast-offs…just getting through the December '09 one atm, which has an article that got me completely lost in a dream somewhere in the USA a few evenings ago. Absolutely great piece and that article alone would've been worth the cover price for me.

This thread, particularly Marks outburst (for which I can't blame him – I'd prolly have done the same, and then kicked myself for doing so) has reminded me that there are real people behind the mag, passionate for what they do, and lucky enough to have been able to make it their career.

So now I'm gonna stop being a skinflint and subscribe. Doubt I'll be the only one to do so. :)

Erm, it was the one in Conderton – Not 100% sure what it was called, but I think it was 'The Yew Tree' or something similar :)

We did – it was most fun indeedy :D We only found a few bits n pieces of (singletracky) trails, but it was just a lovely chilled couple of hours pedalling the bridleways. Started at Conderton and headed up top from there. We'll definitely be back to see what else we could find – a night ride with locals would be great. We're only over in Malvern so it'll make a nice change for an evening blast…thanks for the offer!

Here's a few pics…

Heading out of Conderton

Getting to the North ridge

Few meters of singletrack by the tower!

Awesome swoopy bit of trail heading south from the Tower

So good, in fact, we pedalled up for another go!

Views over the Valley to home

Bikes outside the pub at the end :)

Last year I tried the 'riding more' thing – it didn't really work cos I just did the same bad habits more often so they got even more ingrained.

This year I know I definitely need to work on
looking further ahead
riding over the front more
cornering
not running death grip
slow speed drops
bunnyhopping

Oh, and I'm hoping to sort out a smaller and lighter DH bike so I can move it/my weight round a bit easier.

Brilliant,

Thanks for the info all :)

We went out in a very moody looking Malvern today – but it was totally worth it. I found that magical place whilst pedalling through the pouring rain when you realise you wouldn't want to be anywhere else at that particular time. :)

coriander

makes me heave….bleh

we've been run off our feet over the last couple of months and are actually (thank goodness) going to be taking on new staff

The 108 narrow steps that run between two houses just down the road……mainly cos I think I'll total myself/the bike into someone's fence on the way down.

Oh that's not good :(

Hope it heals up without too much bother.

Some random bike genius I snapped at Ribbesford today..best photo I've caught for a while that hasn't needed editing

It is one of the most honest and moving programs that has been on the telly for a long time. Utterly brilliant stuff.

vrapan – Member

Actually what I should have asked is who thinks black rims/spokes/tyres with red nipples would work ok on this:

I'd go blue myself on that….

cynic-al – Member

LOL at olympics on a 160mm hardtail WTF

ROFL1!!!!!!!!!!!1111111

There's a good reason for it – I'll have you know! They were built up for a lovely little XC bike, but I didn't have enough cash to sort another set for this one. It was supposed to be temporary as I didn't believe they would last with a) my lack of line choice and b) me learning to jump/drop on them.

But they have. Despite numerous bad landings, landings to flat/incline and getting battered over numerous rocks, they are still as true as when I got them. The back rim has two dinks from running low pressure and not picking a line, but otherwise, totally faultless.

BETD = bloomin brilliant [/url]

Rose without a single doubt

Wish they made violet flavour too…..

Fantastic wheelset – heavily battered and still true :) BETD built them up and I'd always go back there if I needed another set.

Don't become a contaminated land consultant

Hope that helps

Head down, work hard, keep records of all your work/issues/mistreatment, keep hoping something better comes up

el_boufador – Member

the wicker man (the original, and not the directors cut either!)

I'd say the directors cut myself….

Plus, some already mentioned:
Scum,
Trainspotting
Withnail and I
Nil by Mouth
Clockwork Orange

I wish

Di'Anno = awesome

Don't think too much of that guy that came after him though…

…sorry!

my Marin doesn't creak

my Orange sounds like 13 stories of scaffolding crashing onto a stockpile of biscuit tins though

Hope everything goes well :D

Great pics :)

Sorry to hear about the CF….hope you can manage your way out of it. Takes a long time, but it is possible to be as, or better, than you were before you got sick :)

goog rode into a tree on a flat gravel park path yesterday

his foot is knackard now

hope that makes you feel better

It's very difficult to judge. Some people (like me) have vastly differing abilities across their skill base. So I'm a total novice on a lot of stuff and have barely made any improvement since I started riding a few years ago (despite working tirelessly to improve them)….but on some things/trails, I would say I was intermediate. So people assume because they have seen me riding/jumping/dropping one thing, I will be able to ride something else (even stuff they consider easier)…but actually, my transferable skill base is very limited so I often find myself right out of my depth on trails that people have told me I'll be fine on.

I know when I went on a group skills day, I felt very intimidated by the level of the other guys on the course. I would never consider anything other than 1 to 1 training now as I know I need tailored training to really focus on the stuff I struggle with.

Wow, some really great stories. Thanks all for posting – really motivating stuff :)

xherbivorex – Member

hello!

'bout time in all – where have you been?

maybe it was the lack of meat making your brain slow down…..

LGB – you need to sort your boss out over those working hours – totally illegal and will damage you

They already have damaged me (hence the serious contemplation to sell up my tiny home in my dream location and walk). A few years ago we'd have busy weeks, and quiet weeks, and flexi-time really was that. Now I am always working, whether physically or thinking about it. I have to be available on the phone all day, so 'flexi-time' isn't really that anymore. It's got harder and harder to get time off and I don't get paid any more than I did three years ago, despite being the more qualified, more experienced and having a whole load more responsibility. It's a terrible state of affairs tbh, but, apparently I just need to MTFU and accept that the other staff are also under pressure, and I should be grateful to have a job considering the recent economic climate. We are apparently getting more staff, but I'm not holding my breath it'll relieve the pressure – because it seems that the construction industry just expects this kind of dedication to the job. The amount of families and relationships I hear about that have fallen apart because the contractors/consultancies demand so much from their staff is just sad. :?

tree-magnet – Member

That was meant in jest.

To be fair, I am normally a dumbass so it was a fair question :wink:

Oh, another 'study' determining that living in the dark ages is the way to go. :roll:

I mean, seriously – so what if eating meat did help our brains to get bigger? Now we have constant food sources, we can (if we can be bothered) eat well balanced diets at all times of the year. Maybe our brains would've got even more huge if those prehistoric men were taken out of the caves and put straight onto a 21st century vegan diet.

I can't be doing with ANY of this 'it is/is not natural to eat meat. Then it isn't natural to live until 90, in constantly heated houses, to freeze food, to use insulin if you are diabetic…..etc etc

As humans (in the world as it is right now) we have the ability to make choices for the better and to minimise suffering. I never understand why some meat eaters get so offended by veggies/vegans. What's so bad about being compassionate?

Look down a slippy rocky chute in Bristol and think, ah, it'll probably be all right. I can ride that….

Well, so far all the input is definitely making me more tempted! France or Switzerland would be awesome.

tree-magnet – Member

Does goog know? And if not, do you think it's wise he finds out here?

Even I'm not THAT much of a dumbass! Course he knows, I'd not make any decision without his input. I've been uming and ahing about it for quite a while now.

Ha – been thinking a lot about the very same idea of late. Couldn't leave my daughter though.
Shame, that.
I'll just stick around and moan a lot instead.

Yeah, I'm doing the sticking around moaning about it thing now, but it's not doing me any good. Take this week – working Sunday evening, Monday working all day, up at 4 am Tuesday to drive to Dundee, Towed home at 4 am Wednesday (effectively making a 24 hour workday), up at 9 am Wednesday to sort Van, working wednesday evening, up early today to write urgent reports and now the boss wants me to spend several hours on public transport trying to get from the outskirts of brum early tomorrow to hereford. It's killing me.

I'd have walked out a long time ago but I need to make sure I have a secure home for my little dog. It's so difficult to rent anywhere with a pet.